But Boro fans will now be hoping that all takes a backseat as the players prepare to rendezvous at Rockliffe Park for training this morning.

Four intense days of preparation ahead of Sunday's crunch league match against Manchester United now await - and for Boro, they will be hoping to feed off any crumbs of comfort they can take from the weekend's setback.

Yes, they were better - but the bar was set at a season-low following the defeats at Crystal Palace and Stoke. If Man City was a step in the right direction (contested by some), a far bigger leap must now be made on Sunday.

Quite whether an olive branch will be laid out to Downing remains to be seen - but the word from inside the Karanka camp is that the door is still open for the 32-year-old to resurrect his season - should he run through it.

Like it or not, the dressing room dynamics will have changed since Saturday when Karanka dropped his press conference "fighter" bombshell, and now the scraps will hopefully begin to be pieced back together on the training ground.

Alas, I digress! Another busy day awaits on Gazette Boro Premium today.

Here's what's coming up:

Did you see that Paddy Power tweet the other day of most likely candidates to be the next Boro manager?

I stopped looking as soon as I saw Gordon Strachan as the 8/1 joint-favourite with Steve Agnew. Good grief - didn't the Geordies up the road invent an eight-year contract for Alan Pardew? Because I'd give one to Karanka now, if that's the case...

Well Vic is frantically bashing away at his keyboard to bring you today's column, and he is bemused by the same old shortlist that is drawn up every time 'next Boro manager' crops up.

Fabrizio Ravanelli has just made his annual come-and-get-me plea to chairman Steve Gibson, in fairness...

Nigel Pearson

Juninho, check. Nigel Pearson, check. Blooming Marcus Bent!

OK, that last one is made up - but you get the picture. Vic thinks former Boro players - particularly fans' favourites - should be non-runners, whenever Karanka moves on to bigger things. Should make an interesting read.

Elsewhere, Philip Tallentire brings you a diary of his week - including the defeat to Manchester City, what it was like seeing Pep Guardiola up close, and another sunny afternoon spent at Rockliffe Park. Always enjoyable.

Oh, and the lads will also be debating this week's hot topic - you know what, the so-called unity and the goings-on of the last few days.

Who knows where that discussion could lead! But I'll look forward to that a little later on.

Then as usual, your Wednesday night staple is a nostalgia trip with Vic as he brings you his latest On Reflection piece. Which former Boro player will it be on this week... stay tuned!

Carlos Marinelli and Malcolm Christie (Image: MirrorPix)

Today’s Trivia Teaser

Yesterday, Vic brought you a tricky one on the morning briefing.

Which maverick midfielder, who celebrates his 35th birthday today, left Boro for a nomadic spell that took him to clubs as diverse as Torino, Braga and Kansas City Wizards?

The answer, of course, was Carlos Marinelli! Obv.

My turn to test you now, so here goes. Strictly no cheating...

Former Boro player Graeme Souness has managed five British clubs. Can you name them?